English 'Chesterfield' leather set, sofa and love seat

English 'Chesterfield' leather set, sofa and love seat   « Less

An American real leather covered 'rocker-recliner'.

An American real leather covered 'rocker-recliner'.   « Less

A dining room set of table and 4 arm-chairs, Napoleon III style. The table is round with special decorative 'plaque' surface including different woods, centered with  More »

A dining room set of table and 4 arm-chairs, Napoleon III style. The table is round with special decorative 'plaque' surface including different woods, centered with 'marquetry polychrome' in a flower shape, 4 carved legs with decorative brass. Dimensions: height=75 cm (29.5"), diameter= 110 cm (43.3"), 2 enlargements to 210 cm (82.7") X 110 cm (43.3") 4 French arm-chair, Louis XVI style, white 'patina' frame, decorative engravings, back plaited wicker and partly covered with velvet curtain with fringes.   « Less

A Louis XVI style set of sofa, center table, 2 armchairs and 2 chairs upholstered, with brass ornaments, circa 1850

A Louis XVI style set of sofa, center table, 2 armchairs and 2 chairs upholstered, with brass ornaments, circa 1850   « Less

An English oak dresser, circa 1910, with brass handles (150 cm X 96 cm X 58 cm)

An English oak dresser, circa 1910, with brass handles (150 cm X 96 cm X 58 cm)   « Less

A late Victorian English mahogany cabinet with mirror, circa 1890.

A late Victorian English mahogany cabinet with mirror, circa 1890.   « Less

An Italian walnut cabinet with built in bar, circa 1900 (178 cm X 145 cm X 44 cm)

An Italian walnut cabinet with built in bar, circa 1900 (178 cm X 145 cm X 44 cm)   « Less

Early 1900s Sewing Machine that has never has been refinished and is in excellent working condition with all of the parts, tools and accessories. This would make a great  More »

Early 1900s Sewing Machine that has never has been refinished and is in excellent working condition with all of the parts, tools and accessories. This would make a great Christmas present and great show piece for any home! Call Chris if you have questions at 757-291-3816   « Less

ORIGINAL ITALIAN 1890 RENAISSANCE DINNING SET DINNING CHAIR Bottom of Form 2It is unusual to find a set of six matching dining chairs in Europe, where sets typically  More »

ORIGINAL ITALIAN 1890 RENAISSANCE DINNING SET DINNING CHAIR Bottom of Form 2It is unusual to find a set of six matching dining chairs in Europe, where sets typically come as four or eight. Therefore, we suspect that these six were originally part of a set of eight whose other two members have been lost along the way. Even at six, it is rare to find them intact and in such good shape. Their stylistic origins lie in the north of Italy at the end of the sixteenth century when the original design would have been for a narrow armchair in a basic rectangular shape with a broad front stretcher (as seen in the Museum of Sforza Castle in Milan). As a down-sizing of the classic chaise cathèdre or bishop's chair that morphed into a dignitary's chair, the tall back remains a symbol of authority, topped by finials in the form of acanthus leaves. The acanthus leaf, that decorative symbol of choice since Roman times, appears again in a paired design for the front feet of the chairs. The front stretcher is wide and curved with a central, hand-carved circular floral motif common in Renaissance furniture, particularly the central image of cabinet doors. These chairs have the original leather, color of this one is beautiful. As dining chairs, these are comfortable and sturdy for regular use in a kitchen or a formal dining room. DINING TABLE Bottom of Form 2This richly sculpted Italian dining table easily sits six, possibly even eight persons in comfort. Its broad expanse ensures ample room for table settings plus candelabra, centerpieces and whatever else lends itself to an elegant dining experience reminiscent of that romantic interlude in Tuscany. Ideal as it is for dining, it also embraces perfectly the recent trend where executives opt for a table and credenza in their office rather than a desk in the traditional sense. Its origins are in the Renaissance Tuscan tables of the sixteenth century called a vaso for the curving, vase-shaped design of the verticals connecting the stretcher and supporting a broad top. Ultimately, the a vaso design stemmed from the largest but simplest of 15th century tables, the refectory table used in monasteries. The highly decorative designs embodying the a vaso table became popular a century later when wood became more scarce and so tables were lighter with more emphasis on refined motifs such as the scroll, rosette, and palmette border. The four large feet are beautiful, intricately carved and in deep relief, compared to the surrounding design of circlet and graceful, curving acanthus leaves. We hesitate to call the technique “veneer” because it is far thicker than the paper-thin sheets that pass for veneer in today’s furniture manufacture, and is found only where the horizontal and vertical surfaces are unadorned. Like solid wood, it boasts a warm and pleasing patina. As mentioned above, we find more and more folks opting for antique tables and cabinets in an office instead of a traditional desk with drawers. But this table was designed with dining in mind and would still serve well in that capacity, or as a library table. Antiquités et Objets D’Art 10, Le Mobilier Italien (Editions Fabri, Paris, 1990); Costantino Fioratti, Helen, Il Mobile Italiano (Giunti Editore, Firenze-Milano, 2004); Rousseau, Francis, Le Grand Livre des Meubles (Copyright Studio, Paris, 1999) Ader-Tajan, Collection Bruno Perrier Haute Epoque (Catalog for Sale at Auction on April 6, 1992 at the Hôtel Drouot, Paris); Condition: Very good Year: 1890 Country: Italy Style: Renaissance Materials: Oak Dimensions: W82(extendable to +- W1400) x D50 x H30 Other: Rare original leather on the chair   « Less

ORIGINAL ITALIAN 1890 RENAISSANCE CABINET 3 DOORS Bottom of This richly sculpted Italian cabinet, along with the table it accompanies and the two other cabinets, fit  More »

ORIGINAL ITALIAN 1890 RENAISSANCE CABINET 3 DOORS Bottom of This richly sculpted Italian cabinet, along with the table it accompanies and the two other cabinets, fit perfectly with the recent trend for executives to opt for a table and “credenza” in their office rather than a desk with drawers, in the traditional sense. But even if purchased separately, the cabinet is a beauty in its own right and would work well in any setting. Its origins are in the Renaissance cabinet called a credenza because people locked away precious food in it with confidence (credere meaning “to believe” or “trust”). It is typically a low cabinet (waist high) with a drawer (or two) in the frieze and one to three doors below. The credenza should not be mistaken for the French adaptation called a crédence, involving a design derived from a cupboard atop a table and eventually unified as one piece with a pot board as the base. In keeping with Italian Renaissance tradition, this cabinet is made of oak, although some parts are impiallacciatura. We hesitate to call it “veneer” because it is far thicker than in the modern sense and is used sparingly on the unadorned horizontal and vertical surfaces. Like solid wood, it boasts a warm and pleasing patina. This cabinet offers a cornucopia of Renaissance design motifs. What initially attracted us to this cabinet was the intricately carved romane head. Popularized by Northern Italian Renaissance artists such as Carlo Crivelli with his enormous decorative vocabulary and used as a visual effect to separate the viewer from the picture plane, the cascade is particularly pleasing because it draws the eye from top to bottom, to focus on the virtuosity of the carving. It is also a reminder of the agricultural bounty of the countryside from which the design of this credenza sprang.Although a bit more elaborate in its decoration, this cabinet reminded us of the magnificent 16th century credenza we saw in the Sitting Room during our visit in 2005 to Bernard Berenson’s Villa I Tatti outside Florence, just as he was photographed with it in 1903 (as shown on the cover of Ernest Samuels’ Bernard Berenson -- The Making of a Connoisseur). As its Renaissance forebears did, this cabinet locks with a key (of which we have two) in order to give the modern owner a credenza that whatever is inside is safely tucked away. Antiquités et Objets D’Art 10, Le Mobilier Italien (Editions Fabri, Paris, 1990); Costantino Fioratti, Helen, Il Mobile Italiano (Giunti Editore, Firenze-Milano, 2004); Rousseau, Francis, Le Grand Livre des Meubles, (Copyright Studio, Paris, 1999). This cabinet is versatile and would do well in just about any room of a home or in an office. Condition: Very good Year: 1890 Country: Italy Dimensions: W98 x D22 x H40 Style: Renaissance Materials: Oak Other: 3 doors   « Less